As we saw yesterday, at the age of eight, Josiah began to reign as king.
He was the finest and final king Israel would have... None could be compared
to the dedication with which young Josiah served the Lord...
2 Kings 23:25, "And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned
to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his
might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there
any like him."
What a testimony, amen? At the age of sixteen, Josiah sought the Lord
and began to reform the nation and wipe out idolatry. Reform is good,
but without repentance of heart, how long will the changes we make in
our lives really last?? People need to repent of their wicked ways and
turn back to the Lord so that reform can last.... Praise God for those
such as Josiah that would lead the way and put away the evil from among
them, that the Word of God might prevail!
You see, purity precedes power....
2 Kings 23:24, "Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards,
and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied
in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might
perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah
the priest found in the house of the Lord."
In reading about Josiah, one can't help but wonder what it is that brought
the people and nations to such decay to begin with... First of all, the
kings before Josiah - King Ahaz and King Manasseh, were wicked, and the
Bible says when the wicked rule the people mourn....
Proverbs 29:2, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice:
but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn."
It is when we turn from the Lord and go after other gods that ruin occurs
and misery sets in. It marvels me that Josiah, even as a young boy, had
the ability to pinpoint the problem - to spy out the sin, and then realize
that what the people needed were renewed hearts. Their affections were
warped and it showed up in the house of the Lord. May we raise our children
to have such discernment as Josiah.... Ladies, the Lord knows how desperately
this world needs reform, beginning at the house of God and with the children
of God!
1 Peter 4:17, "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house
of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that
obey not the gospel of God?"
As Josiah turns toward the task of repairing the Temple, let's observe
the instructions he gives in verse 8 of 2 Chronicles 34:
"Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land
and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor
of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house
of the Lord his God. And when they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they
delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the
Levites that kept the doors had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim,
and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin; and they
returned to Jerusalem. And they put it in the hand of the workmen that
had the oversight of the house of the Lord, and they gave it to the workmen
that wrought in the house of the Lord, to repair and amend the house:
Even to the artificers and builders gave they it, to buy hewn stone, and
timber for couplings, and to floor the houses which the kings of Judah
had destroyed."
Josiah decided that it was time that loyalty to the house of God be restored
in the minds, and renewed in the hearts of the people. Who better to entrust
a serious job to than the remnant that took the oversight of God's house
seriously, amen?
Not everyone could be trusted with such a task, for most of the people's
perspective toward God's house had deteriorated drastically and needed
to be repaired, as well as the building itself! Yes, even the Temple had
suffered great neglect and it clearly showed. Therefore, Josiah sent certain
men to collect money from among the people for the repairs that needed
to be made. God's people should be willing to maintain the house of the
Lord and have respect and reverence for it, amen? Mom, are you raising
your children with a holy attitude toward the house of God? Do they observe
you giving willingly to the building fund at your church? Do you ever
encourage them to give of their own small funds if a special collection
was being taken to repair and amend your church? Do you get involved,
with your children beside you, in the actual labor that needs to be done,
or do you leave that to others?
Eccles. 4:9, "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward
for their labour."
That is precisely what we did in our church one Saturday... We took up
a collection for the repairs that need to be made to our little church,
and all our families met for the day to get the work done. What a collection
it was, truly reflecting an attitude of love that our people have for
the house of God! It is was a great day of laboring side by side together,
renewing and repairing the church, that it may be maintained properly.
Our children were working right along with us, and were eager to do so.
We should teach our children to respect and reverence the house of the
Lord, ladies! It is God's house and we ALL need to be involved with the
care of it, no matter what our age.
Unfortunately, with much of the social activity that is taking place within
the majority of churches today, I wonder if our children really think
of their church as the house of the Lord anyway?? To many it has become
more of a playground or party place where cookies, candy, games and all
forms of entertainment are made available to them.... How is it any different
from Chuck E. Cheese?? We adults grieve and wonder why our teens don't
remain in church after outgrowing the youth group. We don't understand
why they have no desire to sit under the preaching of God's Word in the
main assembly.... Has anybody stopped and considered that for at least
four or more years the youth have experienced first hand that church is
really nothing more than a place to enter pie eating contests, a place
to get discount tickets to "Christian" concerts, a place to perform in
various skits, a place to play softball or basketball, have lock-in's
and sleepovers, a place to watch videos, a place that provides numerous
trips to amusement parks and enticing retreats, a place to hang out and
socialize with other teen friends to "get away" from your parents for
awhile.... Stir in a little scripture and that makes it church, that sets
it apart as the house of the Lord in their minds?? Many of our children
come out of their teen years with a distorted view of what God's house
is really for, and what being a grown-up Christian is all about!! When
the party is over, their perspective toward the Lord and His house is
sorely in need of repair.... We have failed miserably at preparing them
for real life. Ladies, our children can't face this wicked world feasting
on a spiritual junk food diet while growing up and be expected to survive!
God expects us to feed our young substantial quantities of truth, to provide
them a healthy diet...
John 21:15, "So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon,
son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea,
Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs."
If God's people are going to take heed to the physical repair of God's
house, we need to also take heed to repair our attitudes toward it as
well! We adults need to remind ourselves that it is a HOLY place, where
God desires to meet with and speak to His people, where His Word should
be lifted high and magnified above all else, the truth preached and sin
condemned! It is where sinners must clearly hear that without the shedding
of the blood of Christ there is no remission of sins! Get your entertainment
for your children and yourself elsewhere - during your spare time, not
during God's time!!
John 2:16-17, "And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence;
make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. And his disciples
remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me
up."
Think about it... How far would Josiah say that your church has gotten
away from being what God would have it to be? The condition of the Temple
is indicative of the spiritual condition of the people and the nation
as a whole... Has the atmosphere of holiness deteriorated in your church?
Is reverence toward the house of God sorely in need of repair where you
are a member? Why do your kids want to go to church? Because there is
a good time waiting for them??
Or because truth is there.... Why they go now, will determine why they
go later - or don't go! Our behavior in the house of God should be filled
with reverence, and that attitude of reverence should be enhanced when
attending church, not broken down! As a young person, Josiah got personally
involved in destroying the altars of the false gods, he didn't need entertainment,
he didn't need a party, he didn't need to be guaranteed a good time before
he would show interest in the house of the Lord! Nobody had to feed him
donuts in Sunday School to try and produce devotion in his heart... Ladies,
your family can pave the way and be an example, a reminder to others who
have forgotten the way we should truly think about God's house. It ought
not to be a three ring circus... Josiah, (yes, even at age 16!), took
God's house seriously because he knew God did, and he expected others
to as well. Like Christ, He was eaten up with zeal for the house of the
Lord... By the way, Josiah was like Christ because he was taught Christ!
His parents fed him the truth when he was but a lamb... Hence, his sober,
godly example made a huge difference in society and renewed the hearts
of others in the process....
1 Tim. 3:15, "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest
to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living
God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 1999 Pamela A. Iannello
